The invention relates to an apparatus on a draw frame for textile fibre slivers with a drawing system of successively arranged pairs of rollers comprising a bottom and a top roller in which a load can be applied to the top rollers.
During operation of a draw frame of the above-mentioned kind, the top rollers are pressed against the bottom rollers by weighted pressing elements in pressing arms. When operation is suspended, the bearings of the top rollers are relieved of the loading by the pressing arms and upon interruption to continuous operation the top output roller or the top output rollers are relieved of loading such that no or only slight pressure is exerted on the fibre slivers.
During operation, the pressing arms are closed and the pressing devices press the top rollers onto the associated lower rollers of the drawing system. When operation of the drawing frame is suspended, particularly for a longer time period, the pressure cylinders and hence at the same time the top rollers are relieved of load, so that the rollers (roundness) and their resilient coating are protected against deformation. When the pressing arms are pivoted open while the top rollers remain stationary on the lower rollers, the top rollers exert a pressure on the bottom rollers by virtue of gravity. Since the slivers are positioned between the top and bottom rollers, the top rollers, in their idle state, exert a pressure on the slivers. During operation, particularly at high sliver speeds of 1,000 m/min and above, the rollers heat up substantially. The fibres frequently contain substances that become sticky when heated, for example, honeydew in the case of cotton and lubricating agents in the case of synthetic fibres. When the draw frame is at a standstill for a relatively long period—especially for longer than the time required to exchange full for empty cans at the output end of the draw frame—for example, on sliver rupture, when exchanging empty for full cans at the input end of the draw frame, during operational disturbances and the like, the top output roller(s) in particular, at the roller nip with the bottom output rollers, press against the substances clinging to the fibres and the substances become sticky owing to the heat. The disadvantage of this is that the slivers stick firmly especially to the top roller or top rollers and, when operation resumes, are entrained by the rotating roller and wind undesirably around the roller. This causes considerable disturbance to operation, since the drawing system is immediately stopped and the wrapped-round sliver has to be manually removed. In particular, the incident can often not be immediately resolved, which leads to delays and thus to production losses.
In a known apparatus (DE 198 39 885 A1), at least one separately controllable pneumatic valve for the pneumatic cylinder is associated with the top output roller and/or the top output rollers and at least one adjustable carrier lever or similar for the top output roller is associated with the pneumatic cylinder. By pulling in the ram, the carrier lever is drawn up and with it, the associated top roller bearing. In order to realise two loading functions of the pressure cylinder, that is, a push function and a pull function, a complicated valve device with corresponding valve control (separately controllable pneumatic valve) is required.
It is an aim of the invention further to improve an apparatus of the kind described in the introduction, and to provide a draw frame which avoids or mitigates the said disadvantages and in which in particular the undesirable formation of windings is avoided or reduced.